J Am Board Fam Med
-
One of the unique characteristics of family medicine is that although we cannot meet every specific need of each patient at each visit we continuously advance the health of the communities that surround our practices. Family physicians aim to improve overall health outcomes across our practice populations, not just individual by individual, nor just for those who arrive in our office for care. ⋯ Family medicine improves outcomes for everyone, including the unseen. This JABFM issue epitomizes many of these distinguishing characteristics of family medicine-what does it take (how)? When? Where?
-
Though a growing crop of health care reforms aims to encourage health care-based social screening, no literature has synthesized existing social screening implementation research to inform screening practice and policymaking. ⋯ Critical evidence gaps in social screening implementation persist. These include gaps in knowledge about effective strategies for integrating social screening into clinical workflows and ways to maximize screening equity. Future research should leverage the rapidly increasing number of screening initiatives to elevate and scale best practices.
-
Clinician-patient miscommunication contributes to worse asthma outcomes. What patients call their asthma inhalers and its relationship with asthma morbidity are unknown. ⋯ Patients who use non-standard names for asthma inhalers experience increased asthma morbidity. Ascertaining what patients call their inhalers may be a quick method to identify those at higher risk of poor outcomes.
-
As an increasing number of rural hospitals close their maternity care units, many of the approximately 28 million reproductive-age women living in rural America do not have local access to obstetric services. We sought to describe the characteristics and distribution of cesarean section-providing family physicians who may provide critical services in maintaining obstetric access in rural hospitals. ⋯ Although few in number, family physicians who provide cesarean sections as primary surgeon disproportionately serve rural communities and counties without obstetrician/gynecologists, suggesting that they provide access to obstetric services in these communities. Policies that support family physician training in cesarean sections and facilitate credentialing of trained family physicians could reverse the trend of closing obstetric units in rural communities and reduce disparities in maternal and infant health outcomes.